TRUST BANK OPENS BRANCH IN KUMASI

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr.. Kwabena Duffour has called for bold initiative on the part of financial institutions to explore the intermediation potentials in the country for productive investment. He observed that there is so much idle funds in the system that need to be recycled for the benefit of the productive sectors of the economy. This was contained in an address delivered on his behalf by the Head of the Banking Supervision Unit of the Bank of Ghana, Mr.. Asiedu Mantey at the official opening of the Kumasi branch of Trust Bank Limited in Kumasi. The Trust Bank was established two years ago out of the defunct Meridien Bank. It has a capital base of ?10 billion. Dr.. Duffour commended the Management of the Trust Bank for its good work, having overcome the initial difficulties the bank faced. He stressed that Ghana has enormous potential resources that need to be activated for economic development and growth. Dr.. Duffour regretted that banking habits have not been inculcated into the majority of the people despite over 100 years of banking in the country. He said the banking system is still characterised by a low intermediation profile which is inhibitive to savings and investment functions. The situation he said need to be addressed through education. Dr.. Duffour was happy that most banks have over-hauled their credit policies and raised the ratio of provisions total loans from 57 percent as at December 1989 to 71 per cent by December last year. The Managing Director of the Trust Bank Mr.. Jean Marie Marquebreuca announced that the Bank has set aside an amount in its next year budget for the renovation of the Prempeh II Museum at the Kumasi Centre for National Culture. He said the banks social commitment includes sports, education and health. The chairman of the Board of Directors Mr.. Alex Awuku disclosed that the Bank is evolving a financial assistance scheme to assist small and medium scale enterprises. This he said will help nurture these enterprises to blossom into large corporate entities and thereby help sustain the government's small scale enterprises policy and non-traditional export promotion drive. Mr.. Awuku urged the Bank's corporate bodies to take advantage of invoice Discounting financial assistance package and expand their business.